Wilfred Wong on the Box

Yesterday Patti Reising of KCBS radio in San Francisco spoke with Wilfred Wong, Cellar Master of Bevmo, and Jon Bonne, wine columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, about the increasing quality and popularity of boxed wines. (Listen here).

Boxed Wines Grow in Quality, Popularity

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Boxed wine has long had a bad reputation, and for good reason according to Bevmo Cellar Master Wilfred Wong.

"When boxed wine in America first was put into the marketplace it was really the low grade wine," he explained.

However, new figures by AC Nielson show sales of 3-liter boxed wine grew by 44 percent last year. The numbers aren’t surprising to Wong, or to San Francisco Chronicle wine critic Jon Bonne.

"Boxed wines are getting a whole lot better than they have been in the past and wines that typically people would buy in bottle they're now finding in boxes," said Bonne, who expects the trend to continue.

Bonne added that there are certain people who will likely never serve boxed wine, no matter how high the quality. He said many wine drinkers interact with the bottle in a special way. "What's on the label and the shape of the bottle, the color of the bottle, the way you open it, it's very important."

Boxed wine has the added bonus of staying fresh in the refrigerator longer.

KCBS - Boxed Wines Grow in Quality, Popularity